Arrested for Preaching Christ Acts 4 opens with Peter and John still speaking to the crowd at the temple about how the lame man was healed. Here the church begins to encounter opposition as Peter and John are arrested and questioned by the council.
Arrested for Preaching Christ Acts 4 opens with Peter and John still speaking to the crowd at the temple about how the lame man was healed. Here the church begins to encounter opposition as Peter and John are arrested and questioned by the council.
What now? Peter has spoken to the large crowd at the temple who were inquiring about the healing of the lame man. He demonstrated from Scripture that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Servant of Yahweh, who was to come. He made plain their sin of rejecting and crucifying him. He proceeds in this passage to tell them what that means…
How did this happen? How could a grown man walk and jump around minutes after he had to be carried to the gate because he was lame? This was a notable miracle and the people wanted an explanation. Peter begins to explain how this miracle happened in this passage.
Why? Have you ever wondered why God does something, or maybe why he doesn’t do something? The reason we ask such questions, or think about such questions, is because we don’t know the answer. Many saints in the Bible have wrestled with these questions. We don’t have all the answers, but we know in general…
What should we do? Weeks after Jesus had been crucified outside Jerusalem, extraordinary events took place on the Day of Pentecost. While some scoffed at what was going on, others wondered what it all meant. Peter explained the meaning of the manifestation they had witnessed in terms of the purpose of God revealed through the…
Connect the Dots I remember as a child having Connect-the-Dots books. When you connected the dots in the right order, a picture emerged that you couldn’t see before. On the day of Pentecost, Peter connected the dots between Old Testament prophecy and real-time events they witnessed to reveal the clear picture of Jesus of Nazareth…
What is all this then? Christianity has a central core message and event that is vital. Without it, there is no Christianity whatsoever. All the faith, works, laws, worship, etc. are worthless and meaningless without it. Jesus Christ crucified and risen from the dead is that center. Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension, and return give meaning to the faith (1 Corinthians 15:1-7,…
What is all this about? The crowd in Jerusalem has witnessed a manifestation of the Holy Spirit among the church there. They wonder about what it means and Peter begins explaining it in this passage. Manifestations of the Spirit were never a show. They were for a purpose.
Wait for it As Jesus floats peacefully upward and out of sight, the Apostles could have stared at the sky dreamily. We could close the book and think they go on to live happily ever after. However, two angels speak to them to bring them back to reality. Jesus had given them specific commands for…
What happens when leaders fail? Judas Iscariot was one of the original twelve apostles. Judas was chosen by Jesus, trained with the other eleven, and worked with them daily for two years. Judas betrayed Jesus and later committed suicide. How did the young church handle such a defection and scandalous failure of a leader? Acts…